Just Make Believe?
by Jade4
Summary: Short dark fic where Jareth torments Sarah to where she's pondering if it's all just make believe or not.


Disclaimer: Any and all things associated with Labyrinth belongs solely to Jim Henson Productions. I make no profit from this as it was written for entertainment purposes only. 

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Just Make Believe?

  
  


Moving in and out of shadows, a wicked smile crossing a pretty face, the world as we know it ceases to exist. Tinted eyes glance upwards, studying the colors of the darkened sky as though waiting for some miracle of change. How many times had she stood there waiting, yet nothing ever came?

  


A glint of light flashed, her attention broken slightly while searching out the source of the luminance. Glancing behind her, she saw nothing but the same old buildings, each reaching darkly toward the sky as a barrier between her world and the next. Knowing she had no business there, she moved on her way toward her destination. Would she be so anxious to see him?

  


Boots scratching the dirt of the ground caused her to stop suddenly, unnerved by the possibility that she was being watched. Spinning around, her eyes flashed nervously as they searched the void that had started to surround her. "Not now!" she cried out, her voice echoing loudly, then nothing. Silence. 

  


Shaking the dread from her senses, she took off running. She had heard stories of those caught out in the night that never came back. Was she to be one of them? Running blindly through the streets, she stopped abruptly. Her eyes surveyed the stone wall in front of her that rose up high enough, she knew there was no getting by. Turning around slowly at the sound of footsteps, she backed up against the wall like a frightened child. 

  


"You gave good chase," a voice uttered, as a thin form stepped out from the shadows. A wicked grin crossing his features, he crossed his hands over his chest, blonde hair wisping around his face. "There is no escape, you know that."

  


"There has to be!" she shrieked, looking past him. 

  


Shaking his head, Jareth took a step closer. "You know better than that," he mused, arching a stern brow. "You're going nowhere without me."

  


"No," she breathed, shaking her head as if that would make some difference in her screwed up world. "It's only just make believe," she whispered. 

  


Jareth stepped closer, eyeing her suspiciously. "The fabric of reality is entwined with make believe," he remarked, puling his black glove snugly. "What makes your world any different?"

  


"You don't belong here, Jareth," she spoke up, standing her ground. 

  


"Think you can make me leave?" Jareth laughed smugly, his cape blowing gently in the mild breeze, his eyes staring back at her mischievously. Leaning closer, he smiled and whispered softly, his words echoing deep into her core. "I have been a part of your world, since you left mine." 

  


Her head snapped back, hitting the wall fiercely. The pain was nothing compared to the utter terror that filled her at knowing that she would never be rid of Jareth. A gloved hand touched her cheek and she flinched away, frightened of a future forever plagued with the Goblin King. 

  


Jareth laughed, leaning an elegant elbow against the wall and watching her fall apart beneath his gaze. This was more than he could have hoped for. "What goes around comes around, Sarah," he remarked. "You destroyed my kingdom, so it is only fair that I have the chance to destroy your world." 

  


Sarah's eyes locked with his, her mind buzzing for some quick remedy that would solve the situation. "No," she whispered. No plausible idea sprung to mind to save her from this nightmare. Just as she thought it would come crashing down around her, Jareth disappeared. Looking around, there were no signs of him anywhere. Raising a hand to push her hair out of her face, an image caught her by surprise. 

"No!" she screamed, wacking her hand against the stone wall. Leaning her back against the wall, she sunk down to a sitting position, running a finger across the image on her palm. The Labyrinth in all it's glory with a single owl flying low across the vastness to keep her from forgetting; a single tattoo embedded in the solitary space of her palm. Dropping her head, she had been beaten, marked for all eternity by the Goblin King. 

  


~~~~~~

  


Sarah awoke, her heart racing wildly in her chest. Glancing around, her things brought her little comfort from the feeling of agony that plagued her. Extending her fingers, she looked down at her palm, a relieved sigh escaping her lips. The tattoo wasn't there; just a mere figment of her imagination. Sitting up, she run a hand through her hair, then leaned over to turn on her bedside lamp. 

  


Taking a deep breath, she sat back up, her eyes focusing on the wall at the foot of her bed. Eyes widening, she felt sick in the pit of her stomach. There before her, scrawled in red lettering, was Jareth's gift to her; a constant reminder that he wouldn't let her be. 

  


"It's only forever," she whispered, wanting to cry. "Is this just all make believe?" Sarah threw back the covers and screamed bloody murder. Beside her on the bed lay a perfectly shaped crystal orb. Picking it up, she threw it to crash against the wall to smash into pieces. Letting her guard down briefly, she gasped as another crystal appeared to take its place. Sarah screamed, jumping from her bed only to flatten herself against her wall. 

  


"What's going on?" she cried out, her eyes watching the crystal on her bed. Just as she thought the night couldn't get any worse, the crystal began to shift shape, taking on a new form. Sarah's mouth dropped open, her eyes widening in fear. Inching toward the door, her gaze never leaving the form that now stared back at her, she rushed from the room without hesitation as a black boot hit the floor. 

  


Jareth straightened his waistcoat and flexed his fingers. With a wicked grin, he stalked his prey, moving silently through the house. He could always sense where she was, having marked her as his prized possession. Standing before a door he smirked, reaching a gloved hand for the knob. All at once, he pulled the door open to find her cowering inside the small closet. Shaking his head, she had made it too easy for him.

  


"No!" she screamed, throwing a boot at his head.

  


Jareth ducked easily, amused that she dare think she could escape her destiny. "Game over, Sarah. I win. Time to collect my prize." With one last smirk, Jareth entered the small space, closing the door behind him. 

  
  
  
  



End file.
